Filming the Great Pit of Carkoon for Return of the Jedi took place in the Yuma Desert in Arizona in April 1982. The sound of the sarlacc was created from sounds of alligator hisses, as well as the sounds of some of the Jedi crew's stomachs after eating pizza.[2]

The Great Pit of Carkoon was originally supposed to be called the "Sloth Pit," but this was changed prior to the release of the script.[3]

The 1997Special Edition of Return of the Jedi added several tentacles and an extension with a beak-like tongue to the sarlacc.

While the original Return of the Jedi showed Boba Fett falling in the pit and then disappearing from view, leaving some freedom to Expanded Universe authors to retcon his escape, the Special Edition CGI beak-maw actually is shown to swallow Fett. However, this makes little difference, as the beak-tongue's insides are the same as those of the pit in general.